Of Cooks and Snipers
by IchigoOtaku01
Summary: SanUso of course, sometimes even a hint of ZoLu.  Written for 30 Pieces community on LJ.
1. Lion

I am participating in a 30 theme challenge on LiveJournal and made a claim on SanUso. I have a few of these finished, so I'll be adding them here, but I'll probably replace some and rewrite them, depending on the kind of comments I get on LJ.**  
><strong>

**Title:** Brave Disguise

**Theme:** #29 Lion

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 480

**Rating:** K+ because Sanji flirts, but really it's not that easy to see.

**Warnings:** Boyxboy if you squint, Sanji has slightly bad language, but it's not his worst. This is also set during Movie 3.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute, what the hell is this?"<p>

Usopp frowned as he handed a pile of cloth and pans to Sanji. "Well when you put it on, you'll see it's a panda costume. It'll help us blend in with the animals," he explained.

"How does this translate to panda?" Sanji asked, holding up the cooking pot by its handle. "Wha- Are these supposed to be ears? And what's with the face?"

"Hey, I made a costume for you! It's the best I can do with limited resources," Usopp said. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, glaring at Sanji when the older turned to glare at him. "What? I gave the penguin costume to Zoro; that one doesn't look nearly as good."

Sanji started pulling the costume over his usual clothes, stomping his cigarette out in the dirt. After figuring out the top, or the sheet tied at the shoulders with the number 59 written on the front, he grabbed the gray pants looked up at Usopp, who was watching him. "Expecting a show or something?" he chuckled.

Usopp blushed and quickly looked away. He reached out and grabbed what looked like random patches of cloth sewn together, starting to pull off his orange jacket. "I gotta get dressed. Don't look," he stated.

"How can I not?" Sanji laughed.

The two dressed in silence, Sanji stealing glances at Usopp as he pulled his costume on. While the sniper kept his overalls on, Usopp placed his jacket and satchel on a nearby rock. Usopp finally finished getting dressed, turning his back to Sanji with an open zipper. "Umm, Sanji? Can you…"

"Sure," Sanji said. He pulled the zipper up then gave Usopp one last look over. His perverted gaze turned into a look of confusion in a matter of seconds. "Hey wait a minute, what are you?"

"I'm a lion, the bravest animal in the entire animal kingdom!" Usopp grinned. "It's only the best role for Captain Usopp to play amongst the animals of this island."

"Whatever you say," Sanji muttered. "But let me ask you this, oh "bravest animal in the entire animal kingdom." Why does your costume look like it has the most time and effort compared to the pot I'm wearing on my head?"

Usopp went silent for a moment, turning to Sanji and chucking nervously. "W-Well, I'm Captain Usopp! I'm known for the quality of my costumes!" he lied.

"Which makes the "quality" of mine…?" Sanji started, leaning close to Usopp and practically pushing their foreheads together. Usopp's long nose always got in the way.

He suddenly found himself alone, the brave lion running out of their changing area faster than the speed of light. Sanji laughed and pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and taking a drag before walking ahead with Usopp's belongings in his hands. "He makes lions look weak. Cute, but weak."


	2. Monster

This one is based on a comic by one of my favorite SanUso artists, MitarashiBoi on deviantART. It's all his fault that I like the pairing in the first place. xD And I can't find the comic, so you have to check out his entire gallery. mitarashiboi(dot)deviantart(dot)com (Of course, you know how to type out urls, replace the (dot) with actual periods).**  
><strong>

**Title:** Horror Stories

**Theme:** #17 Monster

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 559

**Rating:** K+

**Warnings:** K+ for slight language and boy love. Also set sometime after Thriller Bark.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Sanji yawned, stumbling a bit as hewalked across the grass deck of Thousand Sunny. He held a plate of leftover food in one hand, something he'd usually offer to Nami or Robin. It wasn't very often that the crew left a small serving of dinner after a meal, since Luffy usually ate it. In some cases, Usopp would have to take it when the captain snatched his food away, and Sanji gave up his own meal to him and settled for what was left.<p>

Tonight, the little bits of leftovers had survived through dinnertime and one of Luffy's before-bed-raids. After finishing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, Sanji realized it was still sitting on the table and decided to take it to someone else. How it went unnoticed by the captain puzzled him.

He approached the men's cabin and grabbed the doorknob, turning it slowly in hopes that he could get in without disrupting anyone's sleep. Zoro, Luffy, Franky and Brook would be asleep by now, so he had to keep quiet. Sanji grinned as he managed to push the door open without a sound.

As he expected, the other men in the crew were sleeping soundly in their own hammocks, except Luffy who had crawled into Zoro's hammock and now snuggled against his body. Chopper was also missing, but Sanji knew he was sleeping in his office.

The object that caught his attention when he glanced around the room was the lump sitting next to the couch. He smirked as he crept closer, softly calling out to it. "Uso-chan."

The lump jumped up and let out a muffled scream before turning to Sanji. Usopp looked over his shoulder at him, a look of terror plastered on his face. His hand was pulled away from his mouth, but Sanji knew he'd used it to cover his scream. "Sanji! You scared the hell out of me!" he whispered sharply. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

Sanji looked over Usopp and noticed the book peeking out from the blanket wrapped around his body. "Are you reading?" he asked as he sat next to him, holding out the plate and watching Usopp take it with a blush blooming on his face. Sanji took the chance to grab the book and looked at the cover. "Zombies? No wonder you were scared so badly."

Usopp muttered something under his breath and took a bite of the food Sanji gave him.

Sanji pulled the blanket away from Usopp's body and placed the book in front of him. He let the blanket pool behind him before grabbing Usopp by the hips and pulling him to sit between his legs. Usopp made a noise of surprise, but he glanced over his shoulder as Sanji reached behind himself to grab the blanket again. The cook then wrapped the blanket around them both and rested his chin on Usopp's shoulder.

His mouth twisted in a wriggly smile, Usopp finished eating the food and switched the plate with his book. He leaned back against Sanji's chest and opened to the page he had marked, looking at Sanji out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks for the food," he said.

"Sure. I'll watch your back in case the zombies come," Sanji chuckled. Usopp's face turned red and he nestled against Sanji's chest as he continued to read.


	3. Party

**Title:** Make Up

**Theme:** #6 Party

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 841

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slightly OOC because I'm writing events that I haven't quite watched yet. Set after Water 7.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>The entire crew was tired after their crazy party on their new ship to celebrate their new additions, including the return of their sharpshooter. Parties after the inclusion of a new nakama was somewhat of a tradition these days, mostly after the addition of Chopper. And whether their nakama was new or old, the Straw Hat Pirates never hesitated to hold back on the festivities.<p>

Of course Sanji was usually the one to help clean up after the party was over and most of the crew had already gone to bed. Sometimes Luffy would fall asleep on deck, if Zoro hadn't already dragged him to their new cabin. If Zoro hadn't forgotten where that was. But neither of them was to be found, in fact the new, grassy lawn was nearly empty save for the plates and bits of leftovers scattered across the deck.

Sanji realized Usopp was still sitting on the swing, watching Sanji as he cleaned. While he'd acted like usual around everyone, there had been an invisible wall between himself and Sanji. They weren't entirely sure why, especially since Luffy had tearfully pulled him back across a raging sea and proudly proclaimed the crew complete. Usopp had just been quiet around Sanji.

As he leaned down to grab a plate, Usopp suddenly lifted himself off the swing and walked closer. Sanji watched him out of the corner of his eye as he cleaned. "What's up?" he asked.

Usopp fidgeted, grabbing his arms and looking around. He didn't know what to say, or he wasn't sure where to start. Maybe he was afraid that Sanji was mad?

With an arm full of dirty plates, Sanji stood and stared Usopp in the eye, looking for any sign of what he was trying to get across. "If you have something to say to me, spill," he said.

They stood there in silence for a moment longer, Usopp trying to speak up several times but stopping short. Eventually he reached out and took the plates from Sanji and placed them on the ground. Confused, Sanji suddenly found himself being tackled to the deck. It knocked the wind out of him, and Usopp gave him no chance to catch his breath as he pressed their lips together. In fact, he pulled him into a kiss by pulling on the front of his shirt.

The blond had to push him away to catch his breath. He took a deep breath, hands flying up to tangle in the bit of Usopp's hair that hung under the bandana, and forcefully crushed their lips again. Usopp didn't protest, in fact his hands began undoing the first button of his shirt and the tie around Sanji's neck.

They parted after a minute, taking a chance to catch their breath. Sanji's shirt was almost completely open, and Usopp's bandana had been thrown to the side. One of the straps to his overalls started falling over his shoulder. "What was that for?" Sanji asked.

"I'm sorry," Usopp panted.

"Sorry? You've already said you're sorry," Sanji said.

Usopp shook his head and leaned in closer. "I'm sorry I left and didn't consider you. I was really, really selfish," he said. "It hurts when I see you flirt with the girls and stuff, but if you did something like what I did, I'd be pissed at me too. So, I'm sorry."

Chuckling, Sanji yanked Usopp down for another kiss, shoving his tongue past the younger's lips and licking every part of his mouth. Usopp moaned and practically ripped his shirt off, but Sanji suddenly stopped him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down already, let me undress you too!" Sanji laughed.

Usopp blushed and pushed his hands away as he tried to take off his overalls. "N-No! I'm…" he started. "L-L-Let me do this! I wanna-wanna do it."

"You're being assertive?" Sanji asked as Usopp removed his shirt, pulling the straps to his overalls down. "To what do I owe this sudden transformation to?"

The sniper suddenly stopped and sighed, sitting up slightly to look Sanji in the eye. "I missed you, even though we were only apart for a few days," Usopp said. "I mi-missed this. I wanna make it up."

Sanji's eyes nearly transformed into hearts. 'He wants make up sex!' he laughed in his own head, pushing Usopp away and sitting forward. The younger was a little confused, but he started unbuckling his pants. "Hold it, wait a minute," Sanji started. "As much as I'm turned on by your advances, I have a ship to clean up."

"B-B-But Sanji-"

"Shh," he whispered, pressing his lips against Usopp's for a second. "Help me clean, then we can take this to your new workshop for some quality time."

"I-In my workshop?" Usopp asked. "B-But I haven't had the chance to build anything in it yet."

"It's better than sneaking around in the storage room!" Sanji said. "Come on! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can get started."

Usopp sighed and climbed off the cook. "Fine," he said as he grabbed the dishes,


	4. Chivalry

**Title:** Deprivation

**Theme:** #14 Chivalry

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,101

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight angst. Not really sure where this is set, it could be anywhere really.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Being a man, Usopp was under the impression that Sanji's chivalrous ways would rarely extend to him. He often made these assumptions based on how Sanji treated him in various situations or how the cook set his priorities. Always worried about Robin and Nami, rarely paying attention to Usopp. Swooning at the sight of any human being with boobs and brushing off the sniper who brought him along to shop for gunpowder.<p>

Sanji did pay attention to Usopp sometimes, often when no one was looking. And he was very affectionate when they were alone. Usopp didn't mind; He wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the crew as long as possible. But that didn't mean he wanted to be ignored when it came to women.

This time, he watched Sanji prepare afternoon snacks for the women from his workshop with a bit of weight in his heart. When he sighed, Sanji's ears instantly picked up the noise and turned to him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Usopp asked. "N-Nothing. Why?"

"You sound upset," Sanji replied. He'd started noticing these kinds of things in Usopp, attributing it to their relationship. He quickly abandoned the food on the counter, sitting next to Usopp. He didn't kiss him, he didn't lean in and touch his shoulder. The older just sat down and stared at him.

"Wh-What?" Usopp asked.

"Tell me what's wrong," Sanji said.

Usopp frowned and turned his back to the older man. "Why are you so interested? I told you there's nothing wrong," he said, grabbing his latest invention and pretending to tinker with it.

Sanji crossed his legs and pulled out his cigarettes, lighting the end and taking a drag in a matter of seconds. Usopp could feel his heart race but sink at the same time. He was happy Sanji was interested in him, but Usopp couldn't tell him what he was upset about. Instead he let out another sigh.

He felt a hand place itself on his shoulder and turn his body gently, Sanji looking at him with one eye. "Usopp, I know when something's wrong with you. Now tell me before I force it out of you," he said quietly.

His serious tone scared Usopp, but the younger gulped at looked at the floor. "I… It's nothing."

"Bull shit."

Usopp yelped as Sanji pulled him down and crawled on top of his body. Sanji started nipping at every exposed part of his skin. The sniper moaned and tried to push him off, stammering excuses. "The-The snacks! Get off, damn it!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Sanji said between hickeys, biting down extra hard on his pectorals. Usopp gasped, his legs flailing as he tried to get away.

"Ah, ow! Shit, Sanji!"

The blond ignored Usopp and started pulling his overalls away from his shoulder. He trailed kisses down his shoulder and nipped the muscles under the skin. "Tell me what's wrong," he whispered. One of his knees suddenly urged Usopp's thighs apart and pressed against the sniper's lower regions. Usopp clung to Sanji and moaned rather loudly.

Sanji suddenly stepped back and glared at Usopp, upset but proud of the younger's restraint. But he smirked at the obvious results of his actions. Usopp was panting, hard, and his overalls were starting to come off. Grinning, Sanji took a drag of his cigarette and chuckled. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong now?" he asked.

Usopp shook his head, suddenly realizing that his mind was blank. What was he worried about again?

Rolling his eyes, Sanji stood and walked to the counter. "I'm gonna give Robin-chwan and Nami-swan their snacks," he said. Usopp sensed his disappointment in his voice.

'Oh wait, Nami and Robin. He's paying attention to them again,' Usopp thought. 'Of course. He'd rather give them food than spend time with me.'

Sanji noticed the look of distress that flashed across Usopp's features. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere," he said, walking out of the room with a tray of food.

Usopp didn't move, staring at the door and frowning. He sniffled and turned towards the wall behind his workshop. His eyes started to water, his fist balling up and scrubbing his eyes.

After a few minutes, Sanji returned and locked the door to the galley. Realizing Usopp was now facing away from him, Sanji curled up and spooned against the sniper's back, well aware that he was upset when he heard Usopp stifle a sob or two. Gently pressing his lips against his shoulder, Sanji's arms tightened around his waist. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Y-You care about Nami and Robin more than you do me," Usopp cried. "You l-love them more. I-I-I don't even-even know why you pretend to love me."

"What?" Sanji asked. "How did you start thinking like this?"

Usopp turned in his arms, his eyes now filled with anger. "Are you serious? Don't tell me you completely ignore the way you treat them!" he glared.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sanji asked.

"You're kidding! I've watched the way you flutter around them!" Usopp exclaimed. "It's always, 'mellorine!' Or 'My lovely Nami-swan!' and all that shit! You act like a completely different person around them!"

"Of course, they're beautiful wome-"

"And the compliments! I know they're pretty, damn it! You don't have to tell me every single time!"

"But Usopp, I don't love them more-"

"Liar! You don't call me mellorine or shower me with snacks and affection. At least not out in the open."

Sanji blinked. His eyes suddenly brightened and he pulled Usopp closer by his waist. "Wait a minute, you're jealous!" he grinned. "You're jealous of the girls, aren't you?"

"N-No!" Usopp glared, his face turning red. "Why would I be jealous?"

"You want me to be more affectionate?" Sanji asked, suddenly attaching himself to Usopp's collarbone and sucking on his skin. Usopp yelped again and started moaning. "Anything to stop your jealously."

"I-I-I'm not jealous!" Usopp blushed. "B-But now that you mention it…"

"Hmm?" Sanji asked, looking up at Usopp from his spot against his neck.

Usopp buried his face in Sanji's hair, suddenly embarrassed all over again. "I want snacks too! If you're gonna give Nami and Robin snacks, then it's only fair that I get one as your b-b-boyfr-friend."

Sanji felt his heart pound harder when Usopp admitted to being his boyfriend. It was such a rare statement that his heart raced just thinking about it. "Consider it done."

"And no more burnt food."

"Okay."

"A-And more-more of this."

Sanji laughed and leaned up to kiss Usopp's lips.


	5. Leg

Please let me know if you find any spelling errors in this. My brain hasn't been functioning properly...**  
><strong>

**Title:** Magic Fingers

**Theme:** #22 Leg

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,143

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, language. The usual.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"Owowowowow!"<p>

Usopp winced as he shifted his left leg and gasped when pain shop up into his thigh. "Damn! My leg's stiff," he sobbed. Sitting in his part of the downstairs workshop, he debated how to get up the stairs. If he could get up the stairs.

He'd been working on plans for new weapons and inventions, sketching out his ideas and figuring out supplies lists. Usopp skipped breakfast, much to Sanji's disapproval, and worked until he lost track of time. It all factored into the pain in his leg.

And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, his stomach growled with an audible rumble. Usopp groaned and leaned back in his chair, his leg twitching painfully. He started to think all of his hard work wasn't worth the pain. He vowed to stay away from his blueprints for a while.

He wished Sanji would magically appear, even if such a thing seemed too convenient. But the cook would know exactly what to do for his leg, and even if he didn't know, Sanji would comfort him. He would cuddle with Usopp or kiss him until he was too distracted. Sanji was really good at keeping his promises.

There were footsteps approaching from the rooms upstairs and Usopp strained his neck to see who was coming. It was Franky. "Oi Usopp! It's almost dinner time; Sanji sent me down to look for you," he said.

"Franky, my leg went stiff," Usopp complained, like it was an excuse.

"Eh? Can you move it?" the cyborg asked.

"Yeah, but it hurts," Usopp said, rubbing his leg in an attempt to heal it. "Think you can help me?"

"No problem, Super Franky is here to help!" Franky grinned, throwing his fists in the air and connecting the star tattoos on his forearms. He held out his hand for Usopp and watched him attempt to stand. "Which leg is it?"

"The left."

Franky suddenly grabbed Usopp and threw him over his shoulder. Usopp blushed and started flailing his arms and right leg. "What the hell, Franky?" he demanded.

"Chill out, bro! I'll carry you to the kitchen," Franky grinned, walking up the stairs.

They emerged on the deck, where Luffy and Chopper napped on the lawn with Zoro. Brook quietly played a tune on his violin. The peaceful afternoon was interrupted as Franky and Usopp argued.

"Franky, I can walk! Put me down!"

"No way, Usopp. Sanji asked me to deliver."

"You make it sound like I'm some sort of package!"

They entered the kitchen, where Sanji stood behind the counters. "I brought Usopp," Franky said.

"Why are you carrying him?" Sanji asked.

Usopp yelped as Franky dumped him in the chair closest to Sanji. "He says his leg is stiff; Thought it'd be easier to get here if I brought him," the cyborg said.

"Ah, okay. Thanks," Sanji said, waving a hand as Franky left the room. He turned to Usopp, his visible eye narrowed as he glared at the sniper. "You skipped breakfast. And lunch. Are you trying to starve?"

"I-I was working," Usopp stammered.

Sanji flipped a switch on the oven and walked around the counter. Usopp watched as he placed his hands on his knees and squeezed. The sniper yelped and flinched, holding his left thigh when Sanji let him go. Sanji chuckled, looking Usopp in the eye. "Boy crazy," he said.

"Wh-What? Shut up," Usopp blushed, rubbing his leg.

"What's wrong with your leg?" he asked.

"It's stiff," Usopp explained. "I was going to walk it off, but Franky carried me."

Shaking his head, Sanji started massaging his thigh. It caused Usopp to twitch, but he didn't move away like Sanji expected. The cook looked up when Usopp cried, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close, pushing himself between his thighs. Sanji continued to rub Usopp's leg with gentle pressure and rubbing fingertips, moving down.

"Ow, ouch! That hurts," Usopp frowned.

"I know, just give it a minute," Sanji said, kissing his forehead gently. He kept his hand in one place, kneading his fingers as Usopp moaned, then moved to another spot after a few seconds. Sanji grabbed Usopp's knee again and the sniper let out an uncharacteristic squeal, making Sanji laugh.

The cook pushed Usopp to the left and shifted the seat under him, exposing more of his thigh to the air. Sanji immediately worked on the new uncouched spot.

Usopp clung to Sanji as he groaned, but the noises he made weren't painful, more like relieved. Sanji moved a little closer to his rear and massaged everything on the underside of his thigh in a matter of seconds. The sniper felt like putty in Sanji's arms, flexing his legs and smiling when the pain dissipated. "Better?" Sanji asked.

"Mmm," Usopp sighed. Sanji kissed his forehead again, shifting the sniper and ensuring he wouldn't fall out of his seat.

As Sanji let him go, Usopp's stomach rumbled with hunger. His face turned bright red and Sanji tried to keep his laughter contained, letting a few giggles out. "S-S-Sorry. I'm really hungry," Usopp said.

"That's fine. It's why I made this," Sanji said, pulling a plate closer. How he kept it hidden and helped Usopp was a mystery, but the sharpshooter's mouth instantly watered at the site of food. A small plate of dumplings sat in wait, with small servings of sauce to go with it. Usopp wasted no time grabbing a dumpling, reaching over Sanji's shoulder, and popping it in his mouth. As he chewed, Sanji pulled him closer.

"Mmn, you know, it's hard to eat when you're clinging to me," Usopp said, ignoring the hand that rubbed his back.

"You're the one that started eating," Sanji stated. "I gotta get started on making dinner, so…"

Usopp let go of Sanji as the cook's arms fell from his waist and didn't look up when the cook walked away. He suddenly looked up as Sanji started rounding the counters, reaching out with his hand and continuing to chew. "Wait," he mumbled around a mouth full of food. He waved his hand towards him and tried to swallow.

"Idiot, don't choke yourself," Sanji sighed as he walked closer. He grunted as Usopp grabbed his shirt and pulled him in, like the cook was taking too long to get there. "What th-" he started. Usopp promptly cut him off and leaned up to press their lips together. As soon as the sniper swallowed his food, Sanji dominated the kiss and resisted the urge to push Usopp against the counter.

They pulled apart and Sanji licked his lips. "I can taste the dumplings," he muttered, laughing as Usopp's face turned red again. He turned around and walked back to his kitchen duties. He smiled at the small but audible "thank you" under Usopp's breath before turning the stove on again.


	6. Treasure

**Title:** A Matter of Fact

**Theme:** #09- Treasure

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 561

**Rating:** K

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, it says hell once.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"Wh-Wh-What are you looking at?"<p>

Sanji looked up from the notebook in his hands and tried to hide it as Usopp entered the room. "N-Nothing," he lied, the book under his shirt.

"Don't put it in your shirt!" the younger exclaimed as he threw himself at Sanji. The cook laughed and took the chance to grab Usopp around the waist when he landed "gracefully" across his lap. The notebook was safely secured against his chest, peeking out behind a few buttons. Usopp immediately tried to pry it out.

He was suddenly pushed up, now sitting straight, then pulled back to lean against Sanji's chest. Usopp could feel the notebook against his spine and no amount of squirming would help him get it back. "Sanjiiii! Let me go and give me back my sketchbook!"

"Oh ho, so it is yours," Sanji chuckled in his ear, sending shivers down Usopp's spine. "I was wondering why there were so many sketches of me in there."

Usopp's face lighted up like a flame, especially when Sanji's hands started rubbing his shirt over his torso. "St-Stop it! Just give it back!" he stammered.

"Uh-uh," Sanji said, "I only got to see three or four pages before you barged in. As your model, it's only fair I get to see the work."

The sniper leaned forward to try and get away, but Sanji pulled the sketchbook out of his shirt and used both legs to pin Usopp in his new and improvised seat. Sanji circled his arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides and holding the sketchbook in front of them both. "Let's look at them together."

"No! Nonono!" Usopp cried. "Let's not and say we did; Come on Sanji! Let me go!"

Sanji turned to one of the pages as he placed his chin on Usopp's shoulder, chuckling at another picture of him. He had to admit, Usopp was a wonderful artist. Maybe the creative bone in his body worked overtime, what with inventions, drawings, and lies. "When do you find time to draw these sketches?"

Usopp wiggled wildly, throwing his head back and flailing his legs. "It doesn't matter! Let go!"

"Calm down, you make it sound like I'm hurting you."

"You're hurting my pride! This book wasn't supposed to be seen, EVER!"

"Oh come on, you were gonna show me eventually."

"Hell no!"

Sanji sighed and closed the book in his hand, keeping Usopp tied up in his limbs. "What's so bad about looking through a sketchbook? You're an amazing artist," he said.

"Ah, w-well, that's true. The great captain Usopp has to be a great artist," Usopp said. "But those are just practice! They're personal."

"They're a gem," Sanji said. "Anyone that appreciates art would consider this a great treasure."

"Y-You really think so?" Usopp asked, suddenly agreeing with Sanji due to the older man's comments. He recovered and switched back to "Captain Usopp" mode in an instant. "I mean- Of course! My art is some of the greatest in the Grand Line!"

"So you have no problem with me looking through it?" Sanji asked as he opened the pages again.

Usopp managed to pull his arms out and slapped the book shut, clapping Sanji's hands with it. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. You're not allowed to look."

"What? But Uso-"

"I said no. Now let me go!"


	7. Soap

Totally inspired by the Askusoppu blog on tumblr. I wanted to get this out faster, because the questions were literally being answered as I wrote it, but I got delayed. xD**  
><strong>

**Title:** Chemical Reactions

**Theme:** #13- Soap

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,173

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy more towards the end.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>How the hell he ended up in the bathhouse was something Usopp could not figure out no matter how hard he tried.<p>

The very thought that he had somehow changed into his swimming trunks scared him; He was sure he was wearing his normal clothes before he ended up in the bathhouse. There was only one person he'd be remotely comfortable with changing him while he was asleep, if he could call whatever he just woke up from sleep, and that person was Sanji.

'Why would he strip me of my clothes, put my trunks on, then throw me in the bathhouse?' Usopp thought to himself as he sat up. Nothing felt out of place, everything seemed to be completely normal. If one could consider the situation normal.

The door opened just as Usopp started to stand. He was completely surprised as Nami and Robin walked into the room, each wearing their swimsuits and shorts. Surprised, Usopp looked between both girls after they closed the door and frowned. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"Robin, lock the door," Nami said, her grin twisted upward as she leered at Usopp.

Robin nodded and reached behind herself. The audible click of the lock could be heard through the entire room, and it made Usopp's heart sink into his stomach. "Wh-What are you doing?" Usopp asked, his voice meek.

The girls crept closer to the sniper. Usopp noticed Robin was holding a few bottles behind her back. He wasn't sure what they had inside, but he started putting the pieces together. They were in the bathhouse, nearly naked, Robin was holding various bottles, and he caught a glimpse of one of their wash clothes behind Nami's back. It's like they were going to-

"You-You're giving me a bath?" Usopp cried out. In any other circumstance, he would have never come to that kind of conclusion. But if his memory served correct, he was certain Nami made some kind of comment that she wanted to play with his mass of hair last week. He refused of course.

"Just washing your hair, really," Nami said. "You let it grow out and now it just looks crazy. As girls, we want to make sure you can keep everything intact."

"Don't worry, Usopp. We'll be gentle," Robin chuckled as they crept closer.

Usopp looked between them both, fear taking over his features as their hands reached out to touch him. He tried to scream when they were close enough, even when Robin sprouted arms from his shoulders and clamped her hands over his mouth. They could still see obvious fear in his eyes, but they brushed their worries aside.

* * *

><p>"Holy crap, Usopp. Your hair is so fluffy now!"<p>

Usopp couldn't help but stare at his own reflection in the mirror, his face red from a mixture of the heat and his own embarrassment. Nami had to use the hair dryer on him. She _had_ to comb it until his scalp hurt. He knew curly hair was hard to maintain, but it took some of Robin's extra hands just to get it dry. And Nami was right, his hair practically stuck out at all angles, and it was much softer despite the extensive treatment it had gone through.

"I appreciate you taking care of my hair, Nami, but I think I'm gonna let my scalp heal for a while," Usopp said as he tried to get up. He was surprised when Robin pulled him back to his seat, aware that her extra arms had sprouted once again and practically held him in place.

"Not yet. We'd like to get some pictures as well," Robin said, holding up the camera. Usopp groaned as she took a picture.

"Is the flat iron ready, Robin?" Nami asked.

"Not quite," the older woman said over Usopp's alarmed interest.

Nami pulled out various hair accessories, from where Usopp would never really know, and divided his hair into two parts. "We'll do pigtails first!" she grinned.

"P-Pigtails?" Usopp whined, wincing as Nami tugged on his hair.

The red-haired woman worked quick, pulling his hair into rubber bands in a matter of seconds. The style was comical on him, especially since his hair still poofed out to the sides. It was like he had two large, black cotton balls just under his ears. Robin snapped another photo, this time with Usopp sighing through his nose, and Nami tore the rubber bands out before he could speak.

"Ow!" Usopp cried, holding his scalp when his hair fell against his back again.

"Sorry about that Usopp," Nami said. She grabbed the brush and quickly pulled on his hair, pulling plenty of it out in the process. Just as he yelp, she clipped his hair back with various pins. It was such a quick job, he barely even noticed until he looked in the mirror. "Ooh, I like the clips," Nami chirped.

"Wh-What's with the hearts and bows?" Usopp asked, very aware of the "girly" clips in his hair. "Please tell me you're kidding. I don't like this."

"Chill out, Sanji has worn my clips to hold back his hair before," Nami said. She waited for Robin to take another picture before she started taking them out. It was a harder task this time around, since most of them tangled in his hair. "Shit, we're gonna have to cut some of them out."

"WH-WHAT?" Usopp exclaimed. "Damn it, Nami!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

* * *

><p>"Sanjiiii…"<p>

The cook smirked at the familiar way his name was drawn out. The tone was needy, looking for something but not quite sure what that something was. It usually came from one person, maybe two; More than often, it was the same person. That person was Usopp of course.

"What's wrong?" he asked out of habit, shifting as Usopp snuggled against his back. He caught a whiff of coconut, which lit up his senses in excitement and nearly caused him to drop the plate in his hand. "Did you just get out of the bath?"

"Nami and Robin messed with my hair, forced me to take a shower," Usopp whispered. He slouched against Sanji's back to find relief; cuddling always made him feel better. "And when they finished cleaning me, they tore my scalp apart with their stupid hair products! All the hair ties, the clips, the flat iron-"

"Slow down, slow down," Sanji interrupted. He dried his hands and forced Usopp to let him go, turning in the sharpshooter's arms. He picked the younger up by his waist and turned back to the counter where Usopp sat and curled his legs around Sanji's waist. As Sanji leaned in for a kiss, he spoke. "Now tell me what happened, slowly, so I can- Shit, you smell like coconut all over!"

Usopp blushed and pushed away slightly. "Shut up! They scrubbed me with their stupid girl soap," he said.

"I like it," Sanji chuckled, pulling the collar of Usopp's shirt down so he could smell his skin, forgetting about Usopp's ranting.

"H-Hey! You're not listening to my story!"


	8. Teeth

**Title:** Hickey

**Theme:** #05

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp, slight ZoroxLuffy

**Words:** 346

**Rating:** T?

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight language.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"Usopp, what happened to your neck?"<p>

The sniper looked at Luffy with confusion. "What do you mean? Does it look like something's wrong?" he asked.

Luffy pointed at a spot on his own neck, even as he continued to stare at Usopp. "It's like something hit you; There's a tiny, purple spot right here," he explained, still pointing.

Usopp placed his hand on his neck and took a second to think. His face turned red when he realized what Luffy was talking about. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong? Does it hurt?" Luffy asked, pulling Usopp's arm away and leaning in closer. "Whoa! Are those teeth marks!"

"Ah, us, I gotta go!" Usopp exclaimed. He ran off before Luffy could question him again.

The rubber boy pouted and decided to search for Zoro. He found him in the crow's nest with his weights and after Zoro put down a set, Luffy latched on. "Zoro! Usopp has teeth marks and a purple spot on his neck!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

"Usopp got bit! On the neck!"

The swordsman laughed, confusing Luffy. "Don't worry about it, Captain. He's just getting 'friendly' with the cook," he explained.

"Friendly? I didn't know Sanji bit people when he wanted to be their friend," Luffy said. "He never bit us! Why would he bite Usopp? Does that mean Usopp is his best friend?"

"Luffy, do I really need to explain what a hickey is?" Zoro asked.

"A what?"

Zoro sighed, shifting their bodies so the rubber boy was now latched onto his torso, their chests pressed together as Zoro wrapped his arms around him. Luffy's brow furrowed, but Zoro just smirked and leaned in to nip at his neck. The moment Zoro's teeth grazed his skin, Luffy gasped with surprise and understanding, his toes curling when Zoro licked and sucked.

The swordsman detached himself after a few seconds, grinning at Luffy. "Understand?" he asked.

Luffy bobbed his head up and down and wriggled to break free of Zoro's grasp. "I gotta go show Usopp! Now I have one too!" he exclaimed.


	9. Rust

Not my favorite, it's more crack than anything. But ehh... It worked? xD**  
><strong>

**Title:** Rusty

**Theme:** #12 Rust

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 299

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight language.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck is this?"<p>

Usopp jumped out of the kitchen and slammed the door behind him, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The rest of the crew gave him a funny look, watching him walk down, no, _run_, down the steps and dive down into the men's quarters. He slammed the latch in time with the door to the galley swinging open.

Sanji held his foot in the air, a sign that he'd nearly kicked the door down. The cigarette he held between his fingers was bent at an odd angle and his eyes were now narrow slits. He had been cooking, everyone knew because of his rolled up sleeves and Luffy's constant nagging. He stalked out of the room and threw the cigarette over the side of the ship after taking a drag.

"What's wrong, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked without looking up from her newspaper.

He was silent as he leaned against the railing. Luffy stared with curiosity, Zoro shrugged and continued to train, Chopper joined Luffy. They were all waiting for the cook to explain his sudden anger.

When Sanji turned around, his face was somewhat back to normal, but it still retained some of his angry traits. "Whose shitty idea was it to put a rusty spoon in with the silverware?" he growled.

Luffy and Chopper gulped and glanced at each other before looking back to Sanji. They were surprised when he started approaching them, Chopper screaming and jumping behind Luffy. The captain didn't budge.

Sanji reached down and grabbed the latch. He didn't give them a second look before dropping down and closing the opening behind himself. Everyone was quiet, until Usopp suddenly screamed. "Nami! Sanji is killing Usopp!" Chopper screamed. Luffy started laughing.

"Don't mind them," Nami sighed. "Besides, they're probably flirting."


	10. Cotton Candy

**Title:** The Smell of Success

**Theme:** #10 Cotton Candy

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,013

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Language, boyxboy, a bit OOC. Set sometime after timeskip.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Usopp decided that cotton candy and perfume should never, ever mix, especially when Nami ended up getting the disgusting mixture on him.<p>

It was an accident of course. Nami was busy getting dressed and admiring the new bottle of perfume she'd bought on the last island. She was just about to spray some on her wrist when Luffy and Usopp barged into the women's cabin without warning. In her defense, Nami could easily argue that she was completely startled by their intrusion, but after they were both nearly soaked in her new perfume, Usopp was sure she was upset.

After the incident, he cried to Sanji as he made snacks and tried to cuddle up to him to feel better, but Sanji suddenly gagged and ran across the room holding his nose. He muttered something about Hell and dresses with frills, which surprised Usopp, but it ultimately put him in a bad mood and he stormed out of the kitchen.

He walked around the ship without a clue what to do. All of the men were avoiding him like the plague. Chopper nearly fainted at the intense smell, Franky chased him out of the workshop, and Brook made another skull joke. Zoro and Luffy were out of sight.

Usopp realized after sulking around the ship for a while that the smell was started to make him sick and headed to the bathhouse. Unfortunately he soon realized that even taking a bath was out of the question. Zoro was already inside scrubbing Luffy's skin until he was raw while the younger pirate complained about the smell. Zoro didn't seem to mind, at least that's what Usopp believed until he noticed the clothespin Zoro was using to clamp his nose shut.

So he ended up in his branch office, looking over schematics for a new invention while the girls tended to their flowers and trees.

"Ugh, Nami, why do you buy this crap?" Usopp asked, feeling his stomach flop as he caught another whiff of the cotton candy smell on his skin.

"It's not crap! It's perfume," Nami defended. "It smells nice and I wanted something different. And if you and Luffy hadn't come barging in my room in the first place, we wouldn't have this conversation."

"Hey, he ran in there!"

Robin looked up from her flowerbed and glanced over her shoulder, placing the watering can she had on the ground. "As much as I hate to disagree with our navigator, I have to side with Usopp and Luffy in this case. You really shouldn't have sprayed the boys with more than half of your perfume," she said to Nami. "And in Usopp's case, it seems Sanji cannot get close to him."

"Eh?"

Usopp groaned as he fell backwards, his head falling off the edge of the raised bench. His hat fell to the deck and he sighed, wishing he could somehow chase Luffy and Zoro out of the bathhouse because he could only imagine what they were doing. He didn't realize Nami was so close by until she leaned in and nearly hit him in the face with her hair. "What's Sanji doing?"

"I tried to cuddle with him and he ran away," Usopp muttered. He was only "open" about his and Sanji's relationship with Nami; He always considered her his greatest friend. "Not that I'd ever get into wearing girl perfume, but he used to go crazy whenever you or Robin used it. Why would he change with me?"

Nami pushed Usopp to sit up and sat next to him. "Don't worry about it; I have a feeling he just doesn't like it. All of the guys hate it, so it's only natural that he wouldn't enjoy it either," she said. "Plus, it's starting to give me a headache and it's my perfume. I don't care if Luffy and Zoro are in there; You need to wash it off!"

Robin approached the two and glanced at the Observation room. "Sanji will be working on dinner soon, but I feel like he would like to see you before he starts," she said, her eyes fixed on Usopp. "Perhaps you should go look for him?"

Confused, Usopp nodded and thanked the girls for listening, and putting up with the smell, before dropping down into the kitchen. Sanji was just about to carry a tray with fruity drinks up to the girls when he looked up. No gagging so far.

"Does it bother you?" Usopp asked suddenly.

Sanji stared at him for a moment before putting the tray on the countertop. Usopp watched him as he walked forward cautiously, Sanji's face stern as his single eye locked on the sniper. When he was just a few feet away, he covered his nose and made a noise of disgust, but it wasn't a gag. "Still haven't had the chance to bathe?" he asked, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"Luffy and Zoro are in there," Usopp frowned. "I don't want to think of what they could be doing."

The older man snorted. "It can't be any worse than anything we've done," he chuckled. His statement made Usopp's face turn red. "Anyway, I'm gonna go give Nami-swan and Robin-chwan their drinks. If you do get the two idiots out of the bathhouse, let me know before I start dinner. The cotton candy smell is such a cockblock and I can't promise I won't jump you the moment you're clean."

"S-Sanji!" Usopp stammered. He felt his legs wobble underneath him and suddenly wished Sanji wasn't so sickened by the perfume so he could lean against him. He silently nodded and ran back up to the latter, turning back to Sanji as he grabbed the pegs. "If I wait in there, will you help me get rid of the smell?" He shifted his weight to one side, making Sanji's eyes widen. Sanji plugged his nose as Usopp smirked at him, shaking his head up and down and nearly dropping the tray of drinks. Usopp grinned and ran up the latter, finally finding something good in the whole situation.


	11. Zipper

**Title:** Candy in the Dark

**Theme:** #19- Zipper

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 535

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight language, Usopp has the dirty mind this time around. LOL Set after time skip, forgive me if anything seems off (I'm still behind and know little to nothing about timeskip).

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Sanji couldn't believe he was sneaking around in the women's cabin and looking through their clothes. His cross-dressing days were left in Hell (what he called Kamabakka Kingdom anyway), but he couldn't help looking and Nami and Robin's clothes and wondering how they would fit on him. Of course he didn't tell anyone about his experiences; He was far too embarrassed, and he refused to admit that he "enjoyed" dressing in women's clothes. Still, he found himself pulling on one of Robin's shirts.<p>

He was in his own world as he looked through their clothes. Sanji avoided Nami's clothes since they were rather small, even though Nami's longer skirts looked rather tempting.

'Shit, I'm losing myself again,' Sanji thought. He could feel "Candy-chan" coming to the surface; The side made to cope with his cross-dressing. "She" wasn't a second personality, more like a stage name, but "she" was something he hoped to keep from the crew as long as possible. "She" was holding a dress up to his body, admiring the color contrast between the fabric and his pale skin.

"Sanji! "Are you in here?"

The voice snapped Sanji out of his haze caused by the clothes and the noise of the door opening hurt his ears. He hissed without thinking. "Shut the door, _shut it!_"

The intruder quickly slammed the door shut, making the room a little bit darker again. Sanji sighed, hoping the person hadn't noticed.

"Sanji, why are you wearing Nami and Robin's clothes?"

The cook froze; He hadn't realized the intruder had come in the room. And of all people to come in, it had to be Usopp. 'Shit!' Sanji turned, throwing the clothes in his hands on the bed and tearing Robin's shirt off. "I-I… uh, I was looking for one of my shirts," he explained. "This looks similar, so I thought I'd try it on, but it's too small. Must be Robin-chwan's."

Usopp walked closer, his eyes locked on Sanji in confusion. "You don't have any shirts that look like that," he said as he pointed to the bed, keeping an eye on the dress. "Why are you trying on their clothes?"

They were silent for a moment while Sanji tried to come up with an answer. He sagged his shoulders, unable to figure out what to say. "It's a long story," he sighed. "If I tell you, you better keep it to yourself! Or I'll throw your shitty ass overboard."

The whole story took a few minutes to tell, but Sanji gave in and opened up as Usopp watched him the entire time. The younger was quiet as he spoke, intending to listen clearly.

When Sanji finished telling the story, Usopp suddenly grinned. "If you dress like a woman now, does that mean I can top?" he asked.

Sanji kicked Usopp across his temple as his face flushed bright red. "Fuck you! You're never topping, shithead!" he glared.

"Ouch! Why did you kick me?"

Usopp and Sanji argued as they cleaned up the clothes Sanji had tried on. The blond made Usopp swear to keep his discovery a secret, promising to give him extra pike next time they ate. The sniper sealed the deal with a chaste kiss.


	12. Live

**Title:** Nap Time

**Theme:** #01- Live

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 303

**Rating:** K

**Warnings:** Slight boyxboy (not as much as I want), fluffy.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>As the octopus balloon lowered the Going Merry to the blue sea, Usopp decided he wanted to take a nap.<p>

The events of the past few days had been draining in many aspects. He was battered and bruised physically, drained mentally. And emotionally, Usopp was ready to break down. Most of his time was spent passed out after Enel zapped him, but during his conscience moments, Usopp worried about everything, especially the well being of himself and the crew.

There were many times Usopp thought his friends were dead. He spent most of the time with Sanji, who had sacrificed himself and suffered Enel's powers _twice _to defend someone, mainly Nami and Usopp. He could blame it on Sanji's obsession with women, but part of him knew Sanji stepped in to protect him too. Especially when the cook kicked Usopp towards Nami and the waiver on the arc.

It was terrifying when Usopp couldn't hear Sanji's heartbeat after the first attack from Enel. It was heartbreaking to leave him alone on that arc, even if he sacrificed himself. It was something Usopp thought impossible when he turned back and rescued him. When they reunited with the crew, everyone watched and waited for the end.

When everything was over, Luffy defeating Enel and ringing the golden bell, they all celebrated. At one point, Sanji stole Usopp away from the crowd and danced with him. It was similar to the way they'd been dancing with everyone else, but it still meant something different to them, something more.

As Usopp crawled into his hammock and started to fall asleep, he let his mind wander back to Sanji. He was alive, they were all alive, and things were back to normal (as normal as things could be at least). Usopp smiled, sleep taking over his weary mind.


	13. History

Not gonna up the rating yet, since this isn't really M rated. I just gave it M to be safe. xD**  
><strong>

**Title:** Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Theme:** #26- History

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 333 LOL

**Rating:** M?

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, implied sexual content, set some time after time skip.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Usopp had been staring at the same spot on his chest for the past five minutes, quiet as could be. It didn't really bother Sanji at first, since they were still "busy," but Usopp had hardly moved since he caught his breath. No conversation afterwards, no doodling on his skin like Sanji was so accustomed to by now. The sniper was just… quiet.<p>

He decided to make the first move into finding out the problem. "What're you thinking about?" Sanji asked.

Looking up, Usopp pursed his lips as he thought then spoke up. "How many women have you slept with?" he asked, his voice a little raspy and hushed.

Sanji let out a snort, surprising Usopp to the point where the sniper buried his face against Sanji's chest. "Isn't that the kind of question you ask before you have sex with someone?" Sanji asked, chuckling and trying to contain his laughter.

"I'm being serious!" Usopp exclaimed, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of asking sooner. The question had actually been bothering him for a while, back when they started getting more intimate. He never really asked though, perhaps he was afraid of the kind of response he would get.

The cook shifted a bit and rolled onto his side, causing Usopp to scramble and fall off his body. He didn't go far and Sanji pulled him by the waist, wrapping both arms tight around him. Instead of answering his question, Sanji pressed their lips together. Usopp struggled to push against him, giving up when Sanji crawled on top of him.

They pulled apart, after a bit of nipping on Usopp's part, and Sanji licked his lips as he stared down at the sniper. "Does that answer your question?" he asked.

"How is that supposed to be an answer?" Usopp demanded, upset that he now had to deal with a Sanji turned on by his curiosity. He never got a response; Sanji took it upon himself to ignore him and keep going with his ministrations.


	14. Demon

**Title:** Sides

**Theme:** #16- Demon

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,049

**Rating:** T, almost M?

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight sexual content, language.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>There was a form of Sanji that the crew liked to dub "The Demon." This form only emerged when he was extremely angered, like when he learned of any crimes against the women, or when Luffy ate all of the rations they had stored. While the former happened less frequently, and Sanji rarely became so upset anymore, the nickname was still there.<p>

Usopp only had one personal experience with it.

* * *

><p>It was when he was put in charge of doing the ship's laundry for the day. They had let everyone's dirty clothes pile up quite a bit when they became too busy, and the task itself was too much for one person to handle. Usopp only volunteered because he needed some of his own clothes done and everyone else refused to do them. So he filled a barrel with soap and water, grabbed the washing board, and started working.<p>

It took him an hour to put a dent in the work load, which made Usopp's back hurt and his hands cold. He sighed, deciding it was time for a break, and jumped down into the kitchen where Sanji was busy preparing lunch. "Sanji, I'm getting hungry," he said.

"Snack on this until I finish," Sanji said, laying a plate left over from breakfast on the counter in front of him. Usopp sat down and started eating right away. "What are you doing, anyway? You've been pretty quiet since breakfast."

"Laundry. I've got a good percentage of it finished," Usopp explained around a mouthful of food.

"Oh, good. Did you get everything from the floor? It's starting to smell like something died in there," Sanji said.

"Mmm. Yeah, I actually just did some of your clothes; I'm on Luffy's now. I had to let them soak for a minute because they smelled so bad!" Usopp exclaimed. "How often does he change his shirt? You'd think the vests had gone without being washed for a month!"

"That wouldn't surprise me," Sanji laughed. "How much longer until you finish?"

"It'll be a while," Usopp frowned, shoving the now empty plate forward so Sanji could grab it. "But I'll be done before the day is over."

Sanji leaned across the counter, kissing the tip of Usopp's nose and smirking. "Got a couple minutes to spare?" he asked. The sniper grinned, knowing Sanji didn't stop cooking for just anyone.

Meanwhile, on the deck above, Luffy noticed the laundry waiting to be finished. A light bulb went off inside his head, causing the rubber man to grin his trademark smile and run closer to Usopp's chore. The sniper wouldn't mind if he helped a little, would he? Luffy knew Usopp would appreciate it, maybe talk Sanji into giving him extra rations of meat, and cleaned a few of Sanji's shirts. He was only there for three minutes, since Zoro came looking for him after long, but Luffy was glad he could help and hung the few articles of clothing he washed to dry. He marveled at his work for a moment before following Zoro away from the scene.

Usopp returned a minute later, adjusting his bandana and practically grinning. Sanji promised to "reward" him for taking the initiative on the laundry that night, so he decided to finish as fast as he could. Maybe if he finished early, he could get to Sanji faster and get his reward. He didn't notice the smaller pile of clothes, too engrossed in the idea of what Sanji could possibly have in mind for that night.

* * *

><p>That night, Usopp waited in his workshop for Sanji. He finished the laundry just like he planned and Franky had decided to let him have free reign to their joint space, knowing just what Usopp was going to do once Sanji arrived. While the scenery wasn't very romantic, Usopp didn't really mind; He just wanted to have some alone time with Sanji.<p>

The cook stormed into the workshop soon just as Usopp started questioning when he would get there. Instead of a romantic greeting, he threw a wad of pink fabric at the sniper's face. "Why the hell are all of my shirts pink?" he demanded.

Usopp held the offending objects, which appeared to be Sanji's white shirts dyed pink, and gasped. "What the hell-I didn't do this!" he exclaimed. "Sanji, there's a mistake! I-I don't know what happened!"

"You're the one that did all of the laundry!" Sanji growled. "Haven't you ever learned to do colors and whites separately?"

"B-But I did! I swear!"

Usopp did something he was usually afraid to do; He threw himself at the "enemy," hoping to distract Sanji and get on with their original plans. The cook wasn't buying it though. "I have to buy new shirts, damn it. I don't have a shitty white one now because they're all pink!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't do it, but I'm really sorry!" Usopp cried. "I promise I'll get you new ones! Just don't kill me!"

"Oh, I'm not gonna kill you," Sanji growled, an evil glint in his eyes. Usopp trembled as Sanji's hands circled his waist, the gentleness of Sanji's action only making him believe that something was wrong. He was right, as Sanji nearly slammed him into a wall and started to roughly bite at his neck. "I'm just going to have to punish you instead of reward you," Sanji growled.

Usopp flailed, a little turned on by the whole experience, but equally scared. "S-S-Sanji- ahn! Let go! Ah!" He gripped the cook's shoulders as he moaned, flinching as Sanji shoved a knee between his thighs. "Ahn-Ha!"

Sanji nipped and sucked his neck in multiple places, making Usopp squirm and rub against him. He never expected Usopp to be turned on by his anger, but Sanji decided to milk it for all it was worth, even if he hated being angry at the sniper. Smirking, he leaned in and licked Usopp's ear. "You're gonna feel this for the next couple of days, bastard," he whispered.

Usopp groaned and made a mental note to try and avoid this kind of interaction with Sanji, a little embarrassed that he was reacting to Sanji's advances. While he was afraid of "The Demon" side of Sanji, he had to get to the rough side more often.


	15. Forgiveness

I just realized I went through a phase with superdominant!Sanji. So have 15 chapters; We're halfway there!

**Title:** Rewarding Effort

**Theme:** #04- Forgiveness

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 271

**Rating:** T+ (I'm pushing on that M rating, I'll get there someday).

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, implied sexual content

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>For some reason, after the events in Navarone, Usopp honestly thought he was going to have a chance to relax. And he thought he was going to get a reward for his "brave efforts," also known as firing that damned impact dial and hurting his arm. He was sorely mistaken.<p>

Sanji had cornered him in the storage room and pushed him against the wall. He knew Nami and Robin weren't in the women's cabin, giving him plenty of dominance over the young sniper. Even if Usopp put up a fight, it wouldn't last for long.

"Sanjiii! I thought you were gonna feed me," Usopp cried, gasping as Sanji's hands unbuckled his overalls and tucked under his shirt. "Wh-What're you doing?"

"I think you need a punishment," Sanji smirked.

Usopp groaned. Punishment, when Sanji's hands were involved, weren't always so bad. He wasn't entirely sure why Sanji made it such a good experience; Punishment was supposed to deter you from bad behavior. "B-But-ahn! How is this a punishment?"

"Well, I did promise a reward. But I think I know how to combine them and make you understand," Sanji smirked. He let one hand move upwards and touch Usopp's chest, the other hand falling down into the front of his overalls.

"D-Does this mean you forgive me?" Usopp asked, his breath hitching as Sanji fondled him through the fabric of his underwear. Sanji was a tease; Maybe that was the "punishment."

"Eh, sort of. Even if I did though, I wouldn't stop," Sanji smirked. With one rough shove and a flustered Usopp, Sanji's grin grew wider and he latched on to Usopp's neck.


	16. Keys

Whew! I've managed to squeeze in a little writing break today and finished this one. I'm insanely proud of it too. I hope you enjoy!**  
><strong>

**Title:** Dinner and a Show

**Theme:** #08- Keys

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 384

**Rating:** Borderline M?

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, implied sexual themes, this takes place in an AU setting. It's a little side shot to the original series of shorts I have where Sanji and Usopp are living in an apartment next to Brook. You can imagine the interesting predicaments. xD

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>The banging noises in the hallway were a little misplaced in Brook's opinion, as he honestly expected them on the other side of his bedroom wall. He was thoroughly shocked when something slammed against the outside wall just beside his apartment door. The noise was followed by a chain of curses muffled by kisses, clueing Brook in on who was making the ruckus.<p>

Chuckling under his breath, because who is he to tell his neighbors to stop their actions, Brook turned back to preparing dinner. He was wondering if he could go next door and join the couple for dinner, but it was obvious he wouldn't be getting anything from them tonight.

By now, the noises were softer, but he could still here them. He laughed as he pressed his ear to his own door and heard them fumbling with their keys. There was a loud curse when metal hit wooden floors. A hushed scolding quickly covered the curse and a smaller bang. One of them was getting too excited and couldn't open the apartment; it made Brook laugh even harder.

The noises kept going for a few seconds, apparently the frustrated one was more than ready to forget about the keys and keep going, but the other person refused and tried to reach for the keys. Brook wanted to go out and help them, but he could only imagine they would get upset or embarrassed.

A pause in the racket made Brook curious. He quietly opened the door just a crack to peek outside. Sure enough, the couple next door was outside their apartment, the smaller one with dark hair trying to put the key in the lock despite trembling hands. Usopp was his name, Brook had to know by now, and he gasped when the other man with him whispered in his ear. If the key wasn't hanging in the door knob, it would have fallen to the floor again. But the blond behind him, Sanji, reached forward and opened the door before picking Usopp up and running inside. The door slammed and echoed through the hallway, the noises from before faint from the other side of Brook's bathroom.

Brook laughed as he closed the door, deciding he would watch a movie with dinner to cover the noises in the other apartment.


	17. Poster

**Title:** Blackmail

**Theme:** #11- Poster

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 352

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, language

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"I don't think you understand where I'm coming from."<p>

Usopp didn't want to listen to Sanji, hoping to get his point across when he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Chopper. The three were sitting in the infirmary, Chopper tending to some of the new but minor injuries the cook had sustained in the latest fight with Zoro. They were stupid; so damn stupid.

"Sanji, I think if you draw all over Zoro's wanted poster, he's gonna get mad," Chopper said, finishing his job and packing up his gear. "Don't do anything too strenuous for a while. You could hurt yourself even more," he said, looking at Usopp over his shoulder. The sniper crossed his arms and looked away, glaring at the wall

Sighing, Sanji watched Chopper walk out of the room and looked at Usopp as soon as the door opened. "You didn't tell him about what's going on, did you?" he asked.

"No! How could Chopper find out about us?" Usopp asked.

Pulling out one of his cigarettes, Sanji shook his head. "Stupid moss head," he whispered. "I, uh… forgot to mention Zoro found out."

They were quiet for a moment, Usopp slowly turning back to Sanji. He was furious, both eyes oval shaped and laced with anger. "Did you tell Zoro?"

"No. He blackmailed me with information," Sanji said. "When I drew on his wanted poster, he tore mine up then threatened to tell the rest of the crew. He saw us one night in the kitchen."

"Zoro's never walked in on us though, how could he find out?" Usopp asked. His face turned red when he started thinking. "Wh-Wh-What did he see?"

Sanji shrugged, sucking on his cigarette and tapping the end against an ashtray close by. "No clue, but he's shitty accurate. He had a time frame and everything."

"This is Zoro we're talking about, right?" Usopp asked.

"That's not the point!" Sanji exclaimed. "Because of the fight, he could have blabbed to the rest of the crew by now."

Usopp was suddenly running out of the room, yelling for Zoro as he left.


	18. Justice

**Title:** The Good Stuff

**Theme:** #02 Justice

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 449

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, slight language, I like to think this takes place right after the last one (Poster).

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"See, I knew it was a bad idea to tell the crew about us!"<p>

"It wasn't our fault though; the moss head was the one to tell everyone."

"Hey!"

Usopp was glaring daggers at Sanji as if he were trying to kill him. The cook was ignoring him o course, taking a moment of silence to light another cigarette. "Why are you ignoring me? Quit smoking and help me out, damn it!" the younger exclaimed, the side of his hand hitting Sanji on the top of his head.

"The answer is no," Sanji said, speaking to everyone else in the room instead of Usopp. "Quit bothering Usopp about it because I'm not gonna change my mind."

Luffy, sitting across the table from Sanji, whined as he slumped over and hit his chin on the table. "But that's not fair! You're giving Usopp all the good stuff," he complained.

"Not all of it," Sanji and Usopp muttered at the same time.

Zoro yawned from his spot next to Luffy. "I told him the same thing, I even told him how the shitty cook only gives the so called good stuff to Nami and Robin," he sighed.

"You guys are weird. I can't even say the stuff we get is bad," Franky said. "What does it matter anyway? The food we eat is delicious!"

"See Luffy. Just be glad the shitty cook feeds us," Zoro said as he stood.

"Mmm… I thought since Usopp and Sanji told us they were together, we could get better food!" Luffy whined. He completely ignored Usopp's protest about them not telling the crew in favor of following Zoro. "Zoro, wait for me!"

"Why would them being together get you better food?" Franky asked as he followed Luffy and Zoro out of the room.

When the door closed, Sanji sighed through his nose and leaned against Usopp. "I'm glad that's over," Usopp said.

"Be honest, the longer we waited to tell them, the harder it would be," Sanji said. "Hate to side with the mosshead, but I think it was best that he told everyone what he saw."

"I still don't know how he got the exact details right, or how you remember!" Usopp said. "At least they'll stop pestering me about food. Uh, speaking of food, I'm hungry. Can I have a snack?"

Sanji was silent for a moment before sitting up and staring at Usopp. "That is exactly why they're pestering you," he said.

"Eh? How so?"

"Because I'm giving you food every time you say you're hungry."

"B-But I'm really hungry."

"Can you wait until dinner?"

"…"

Sanji sighed. "Fine. But this is the last time, and make sure they don't find out."


	19. Trial

**Title:** Taking the Lead

**Theme:** #15 Trial

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 579

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"Sanji."<p>

The cook turned around and realized Usopp had somehow snuck up behind him. He wasn't entirely used to the new ship yet, and for some reason the sniper had developed a habit of catching him off guard. It was a little scary, especially since they were standing outside and Usopp would have to open a door to get to Sanji. "Geez, Usopp, you gotta quit coming up behind me without warning," he said.

Usopp ignored him in favor of wrapping both arms around his waist, pressing his body against Sanji's back. He didn't say anything and started swaying left and right, pulling Sanji with him. "What's gotten into you?" Sanji asked quietly.

The younger shrugged, a motion Sanji barely felt against his back, and continued to sway. "Just wanted to cuddle," Usopp mumbled. He rarely talked about what he wanted when it came to affection; Sanji just always showered him with attention. "What're you doing out here by yourself?"

Sanji smirked. So Usopp had come looking for him. The older had decided to spend a bit of time behind the aquarium bar and smoke, hoping Luffy would stay out of the kitchen while he was gone. Even with the locked refrigerator, Sanji was still paranoid.

Usopp pulled him back from the railing as Sanji threw his used cigarette over board. "Dance with me?" he asked quietly.

"What's this? You're taking charge?" Sanji teased, turning in Usopp's arms and nearly dragging him into an embrace. "Have you ever led a dance before?"

Surprisingly enough, Sanji could almost feel the younger blush. "We-Well, I can dance!" Usopp stammered.

"Uh-huh," Sanji laughed. He leaned a little closer to him, pushing their hips together as they returned to swaying. "How many times have you danced before?"

"Hundreds of times!" Usopp exclaimed.

Sanji knew he was lying. "Can you take the lead then?" he asked quietly.

Usopp gulped but pulled back from Sanji and looked him over. He let him go in favor of wrapping both arms around his neck, then started leading the cook in a careful sort of sway. This time, he moved his feet and started turning to his left, prompting Sanji to do the same. It was an easy slow dance.

After a few moments, Sanji shifted his hands on Usopp's waist and made the sniper falter. "What's wrong?" he asked when Usopp gasped and lost his footing.

"Ah, sorry. I got distracted," Usopp blushed. "Y-Your hands…"

Sanji laughed, pulling Usopp closer and kissing his cheek. "Does it make you nervous?" he asked quietly. "You're doing just fine; Keep going."

The younger nodded and continued to lead the dance despite his shaking hands. His knees were starting to tremble as well, making their steps a little sloppy. But Sanji continued to let him take the lead, proud of Usopp for taking a chance and coming out of his shell. Dancing was an interesting way to do it, even if they had no music.

After what seemed like only minutes, Usopp stopped them and pulled back. Sanji wanted to question his intentions, but he let it slide as the sniper stood on his toes and kissed him on the cheek. Such a shy way to take the lead in his opinion, but Sanji didn't question him. He actually let his hands move back and stop at the small of his back.

Before long, Usopp lead Sanji back inside and decided the kitchen could go without a cook for a while.


	20. Flood

And with this, the overall rating goes up. This one actually had two versions and I'm giving everyone the second one because I like it better IMO. And after telling my boyfriend I planned on bringing the story rating up, he said "the second one will DEFINITELY bring it up to M." LOL I love him; He's such a great boyfriend and beta.

**Title:** Competition

**Theme:** #18 Flood

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,052

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, implied sexual themes, takes place after Water 7. There is also a good amount of LuZo in here.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Usopp wasn't expecting Sanji to run into his workshop unannounced, and under normal circumstances he would either scold the cook for charging in without warning or find himself lip locked in the blink of an eye. This time, however, was different. There were tears in Sanji's visible eye, the sight of them made Usopp's heart skip a beat. "What's wrong Sanji?" he asked, putting down the pencil in his hand.<p>

The older man made some sort of choked noise and threw himself at Usopp, smashing his face against Usopp's torso and pushing himself between his knees. "It's horrible! Usopp, that shitty mosshead is using out room with Luffy!" he cried.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Usopp asked.

"Luffy and Zoro! Are having sex! In _our room_!" Sanji shouted, emphasizing his words with little sobs.

Usopp stared for a moment then sighed, letting his hands ret on Sanji's shoulders. "Luffy told me he was gonna be busy with Zoro for a while. He didn't say where," he said.

Sanji jerked back, a cross of fear and shock mixing in his eye. "You knew about this?" he asked.

"I didn't know everything!" Usopp said. "Besides, we don't have a "room" of our own, so they can't really be causing any problems."

"Don't tell me- What about the storage room behind the bunks?" Sanji asked. "We've used that room every time we-"

"That doesn't make it our room, idiot!" Usopp blushed, smacking Sanji upside the head.

The cook pulled back, dragging Usopp with him as he stood. "You don't understand; We gotta chase them out of our room. I'll never be able to use it again knowing that idiot is screwing our captain in it!"

"Hey, wait, wait! You're not taking me up there!" Usopp exclaimed as Sanji pulled him up the stairs. "I don't wanna hear them! I don't want to chase them out!"

Sanji ignored the sniper's protests and resisted the urge to lift him off the ground. They moved quickly, avoiding the rest of the crew as they approached the men's cabin. Usopp made one last minute ditch effort, only to be thwarted by Sanji and shoved into the room. Sanji walked in after him and closed the door.

The noises they were hearing were faint but traceable to the right side of the room. Usopp blushed as Sanji tugged on his arm and guided him into pressing his ear against the door. "What am I listening fo-" Usopp asked, only to be interrupted by a low, throaty moan. He pulled back instantly, his cheeks burning as the noises continued.

"Ahn, Lu-Luffy!"

"Shishi, Zoro's still really sensitive!"

Usopp looked at Sanji and realized he was watching him, his face an equal shade of red. "Wh-What are we supposed to do? Wait for them to finish?" he demanded.

Sanji pressed his finger to the sniper's lips, hissing at Usopp to keep his voice down. "I have a plan. Promise me you'll go through with it," he whispered.

His words were hardly audible over Zoro's moans, but Usopp gulped and let his head bob up and down. Sanji grinned, leaning in and replacing his finger with his lips. The surprise kiss made Usopp lose his footing, the two stumbling back and slamming against the door.

The noises on the other side suddenly stopped. "What was that?" Zoro's voice asked.

"I think someone's out there," Luffy said.

"No shit, dumbass! Go get rid of them, or make sure they're gone!"

"Ehh? But Zoro, I'm still-"

"Just go look for a second. I can wait."

There was a smart remark about "Zoro getting too excited" before the door opened. Luffy craned his neck to look outside, and after glancing both ways twice, his head disappeared in the storage room again. "Nothing! There's no one out there!" he exclaimed.

"Must've scared them off," Zoro muttered.

"Maybe Zoro heard something!"

The noises in the storage room continued. From one of the box hammocks, Usopp and Sanji sighed in relief, thankful Luffy hadn't caught them. "Let's get out of there before they finish!" Usopp whispered sharply.

Sanji pulled him closer, rolling Usopp onto his back and crawling over his body as the sharpshooter questioned him. "Wait a minute. Remember my plan?" he asked, his voice low and, once again, covered by the noises from the storage room.

Usopp instantly went pale, trying to escape despite being literally boxed in. "No! Nonono! We aren't having sex with Zoro and Luffy in the other room!" he said.

"Sorry Usopp, but you promised."

"Hell no! No way I-I-Mmf!"

Usopp coved his mouth as Sanji started kissing him and tore open the straps to his overalls. The cook wasted no time diving in and nipping at Usopp's skin, making the younger man moan. There was one spot on Usopp's neck that made him scream, if Sanji could just find it. He left bruises and tender bite marks all over Usopp's neck and shoulders as he searched, pulling on Usopp's arm to make him let go of his mouth. When he licked a patch of skin just under Usopp's ear, the sniper cried out and wiggled underneath him.

"Ah! Sanji!"

"Louder, Usopp! Can't hear you over Zoro!"

"Oh, oh!"

"C'mon, higher!"

"Sh-shut up-ahn!"

"Quick, they're catching on!"

* * *

><p>"Nami! Nami!"<p>

The red haired navigator turned towards the Observation Room as Chopper and Franky came running towards her. "What's wrong? Why are you two blushing?" she asked.

"There's wave after wave of noises coming from the men's cabin! The whole room is flooded with them!" Chopper exclaimed. "It sounds like Zoro and Usopp are having a screaming match!"

"A really good, eh… enjoyable screaming match," Franky said under his breath. "I think Luffy-bro and Sanji-bro are the cause."

"WHAT? Nami exclaimed, storming off to the men's cabin as Robin started laughing. "I'm going to kill them all!"

"Shall I give the boys fair warning?" Robin asked, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. She paused for a moment before chuckling under her breath. "Oh my, it's hard to decide a winner."

"W-Winner?" Chopper asked.

"Ow, that's really dirty, Robin!" Franky exclaimed.

"But it's true. Usopp is loud, but Luffy must be doing something right to get those kinds of noises out of Zoro."

"I… I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."


	21. Whirlpool

**Title:** A Mix of Emotions

**Theme:** #30 Whirlpool

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 365

**Rating:** K+

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, angst, set during Water 7 right after episode 234.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"How are we going to tell him?"<p>

Zoro, Luffy and Chopper looked at Sanji as they approached the crumpled form of Usopp on the ground. The Franky house was destroyed, the Franky Family done in for now (and if they even tried to come back, the crew would make sure they never tried again), but the money was still missing. Luffy had taken the chance to announce his decision he heartbreaking decision telling everyone that they were finished sailing with Merry. The only ones left unaware of Merry's fate were Usopp and Robin.

They couldn't do anything about telling Robin until she came back, but Usopp had to know now.

Zoro glanced at Luffy as the younger turned back to Sanji. "I'll tell him. I've decided," the rubberman said.

"But he loves that ship," Sanji frowned. "I'm all for telling him the truth, but is there any way we can break it to him easily?"

"We can't butter it up, cook. If we need a new ship, we need a new ship," Zoro said. "We can't baby him."

Sanji flinched, a little uneasy about the swordsman's last statement. He had enough to worry about as it is, so he tried to shake the feeling as he spoke again. "What if he gets upset?"

Luffy continued to walk forward, stopping with Chopper and kneeling to get a better look at their sniper. "I will take care of him whenever he wakes up," he said. "Don't worry, Sanji."

The cook was completely uneasy with the swirl of emotion building in his chest, and he was entirely sold on the cryptic appearance of their captain. Still, he knew Luffy was right; he knew they would be alright in the end, even if his gut feeling told him otherwise.

At least the Franky House had been demolished easily. Sanji was sure their little excursion relieved the anger and stress building up since their arrival in Water 7. And with that in mind, he focused on the task at hand; Getting Usopp back to their ship for what could be considered the last time. If Usopp needed a shoulder to lean on, Sanji would be the first one to offer.


	22. Funeral

**Title:** Heavy Feeling

**Theme:** #03- Funeral

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1, 076

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, angst/comfort, language, _set sometime before Poster_

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>There was one thing that bothered Sanji when Usopp returned. He was unsure how to bring up his concerns to anyone in the crew, even though he wanted to talk to Chopper or Robin about what was on his mind. Everything was back to normal, but something still felt off.<p>

He only thought to talk about it when he found the familiar wooden mask hiding in Usopp's personal belongings. It was the only piece of evidence that Sogeking was on the ship, other than the wanted poster hanging on the wall. Usopp had put the mask away without anyone noticing, but he told Sanji all about how he created the personal and wanted to keep the mask and cape in case he would need it.

Sanji wasn't really bothered by Sogeking's arrival. He was just worried about Usopp's mental health and dependency. But since Sogeking had not made another appearance since leaving Water 7, his concerns were placed on the top shelf in his mind, left to be forgotten.

He did have something to say to Usopp's alter ego. He wasn't sure how to bring it up though. Sanji wanted to thank Sogeking, as crazy as that seems, since Sogeking was not a separate person. So he should really thank Usopp. Just thinking about the complex situation made Sanji's brain hurt. If he could just get Sogeking to come out-

A metaphorical light bulb clicked on above Sanji's head just when he opened the refrigerator to see if any leftovers had survived the night; the locked fridge meant nothing if that shitty swordsman somehow managed to get in and grab whatever Luffy wanted. The fridge was still stocked and the least of Sanji's worries as he ran the new idea through his head. He could ask Usopp to talk to him, even if it sounded crazy; even if he was still talking to Usopp. In a way, he was swallowing his pride by coming to this sort of conclusion, but Sanji cared more about the sharpshooter.

Finding Usopp wasn't that easy though. Thousand Sunny was still a little hard to adapt to, even after a week, and he could be anywhere. The joint workshop below, Usopp's branch office next to Nami's mikan trees, and the short balcony right behind Chopper's infirmary were all places he had occupied in the past. Sanji was sure he would be hanging out with Luffy too, who would giggle for some reason. Luffy was really giddy these days…

The closest spot besides the area behind the infirmary was Usopp's branch office, so Sanji climbed up the stairs and glanced around as he emerged on deck. The marksmen was nowhere in sight, but he did spy Robin laid out in a lawn chair. "Ah, Robin-chwan, have you seen Usopp anywhere?" he asked.

"Long nose-kun was in the men's cabin a few moments ago," Robin explained. "He could very well still be there."

"Mmn, thanks."

Sanji didn't even realize he was acting differently around Robin. Normally, he would have swooned at the sight of her, but he already had business to take care of. He was already thinking of Usopp, too occupied to even notice his own strange behavior.

He jumped down the latter, ran out the kitchen, and walked into the men's cabin within minutes, finding Usopp inside. The sniper wasn't paying much attention, occupied by the contents of his locker, but he looked up when the door clicked open. "Oh, hey Sanji. What's up?" he asked.

The cook silently locked the door behind himself, thanking Franky in his mind for locks. He walked up to Usopp, sat on the nearest couch, and paused. "I need to talk to Sogeking," he said without warning, not sure how to approach the question.

Usopp looked over his shoulder in confusion, the wooden mask in his hands. "Talk to Sogeking?" he asked.

"Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but I have something to say to him," Sanji sighed, tapping his cigarettes and fishing in his pocket for a lighter. "Is it… I don't know, possible? Talking to Sogeking?"

The younger man didn't really respond, not entirely sure how to. He stared at Sanji then crawled closer to the couch, climbing up on the cushion and holding onto the mask. He didn't make eye contact as he turned the mask in his hand, his voice low as he spoke. "I… I guess it's possible. But he's not really a separate being," he said.

"I know. There's just something I gotta tell him. Something that means a lot to me," Sanji said. He sucked on the filter, drawing smoke into his lungs, blowing it out after a few seconds. "I just want Sogeking to know."

Usopp looked at the mask again before nodding. Sanji looked away for a moment and turned to the sniper when he heard Usopp deepen his voice. "It's good to see you again, Sanji-kun," he said. "It has been some time since we last saw each other.

The blond smirked. He put out the cigarette and glanced at Sogeking out of the corner of his eye. "Not too long. Not since Water7," he chuckled. "It seems like it's been a while though."

They were quiet, Sogeking waiting for Sanji to speak up. The cook looked at him a few times before he spoke up. "Thank you," he whispered.

Sogeking made a slight noise of confusion. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Thank you. For taking care of Usopp," Sanji explained. "Without your help, he'd still be back in Water 7. He wouldn't be part of the crew, he wouldn't be sailing with us, hell he could have…" The last part of his sentence trailed off as his eyes grew wide, almost as if he didn't want to finish the thought.

His falter was something Sogeking noticed immediately and he pulled Sanji into an embrace without a second thought. Sanji was a bit confused but surrendered and let his own arms wrap around the other male. The hug was comforting, definitely what he could use to comfort himself. But the solar flare on the side of the wooden mask was starting to jab him in the face, making things seem a little awkward. "I feel like I'm cheating," he chuckled under his breath.

The wooden mask was torn off and Sanji was pushed back a bit, leaving enough room for Usopp to push his way against Sanji's chest to hide the wet blotches on his face.


	23. Rescue

**Title:** Handy

**Theme:** #27- Rescue

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 370

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, Sanji's language (as usual), set during episode 226

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"N-No! Stop, I'm not a woman!"<p>

Usopp squirmed and tried to crawl away, hoping to escape the grabby hands of Foxy's imprisoned men. Nami had already escaped the room, all according to plan, but Usopp never meant to sacrifice himself for her safety. Stupid hands…

He squeaked, a high pitched noise that nearly hurt his own ears, when a hand gently touched his thigh. These hands were covering his body, trying to touch his skin, about to remove his clothes. Usopp sobbed and started hitting the hands as best as he could. He wasn't able to reach into his satchel, left on the ship, and he had already used the only ketchup stars as he brought. Cursing Nami, he tried to fight against the hands.

There was a noise, something like footsteps behind him. They were covered by the so called "compliments" from Foxy's crew, but Usopp could feel them through the iron. He glanced over his shoulder as a black clad foot crashed down on the hand next to Usopp's head. The man below screamed in pain, ignored by Usopp's savior.

"Usopp, are you alright?"

Sanji stomped on one more hand before pulling Usopp up and dragging him back to the entrance. The door slammed behind them, the tension and fear closed inside.

They were clutching each other as they caught their breath. Sanji faltered as Usopp slumped down to the floor, sliding down the wall to help Usopp sit down. He chuckled when Usopp cuddled closer to him, his hands rubbing circles on his back. "Are you alright?" he repeated. Usopp nodded furiously, making Sanji mumble in relief.

"Thank you for saving me," Usopp whispered. "I thought they were gonna pull me through the bars."

"A bunch of sleazy bastards," Sanji muttered. "Where did Nami go? Wasn't she running with you?"

"She left me behind after getting across!" Usopp pouted. "After all I did to help her run across."

Sanji pat his head, aware that Zoro would be coming around the corner any minute. "You did a good thing. And at least nothing bad happened."

Usopp wanted to protest, but he could hear Zoro approaching fast around the corner and only whined as Sanji started to stand up.


	24. Wolf

**Title:** Things With Teeth

**Theme:** #07- Wolf

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 1,315

**Rating:** K

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, fluffy adorableness ahead.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Sanji looked up as the door opened and Usopp walked in, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he sat down at the table. "Why aren't you in bed yet?" he asked, placing a dry plate on top of a clean stack.<p>

"I was waiting for you," Usopp muttered, his arms coming up to rest on the table. He leaned forward and closed his eyes as if feigning sleep. "How much work do you have until you finish?"

"Not much, but you can go ahead and go to sleep without me. I don't want to be the reason you're staying up," Sanji said.

Usopp shifted as his face heated up. "…t's not the same," he said, his voice so low Sanji had to strain to hear it. When the blond caught his words, he smirked. "It's cold."

"I've only slept with you twice. Have you really enjoyed my company that much?"

Since Zoro was so kind and revealed Sanji and Usopp's relationship to the rest of the crew, the boys decided to go along with their usual habits; they were just more open about it. And one night Sanji crawled into Usopp's hammock for the first time in months, which had the younger man hooked. Usopp was sure he would never be able to sleep alone again.

There was a low moan from Usopp, one that told Sanji he was struggling to stay awake. "Usopp, I'll be going to bed soon. You go ahead and I'll climb in when I'm ready," he said, starting to stifle a yawn.

The door opened, small hooves tapping on the wooden floor. Chopper was standing in the doorway, small tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he sniffled. "Usopp, can you tell me a story?" he asked.

Usopp was suddenly sitting up, eyes wide to ensure the little reindeer was alright. "Sure buddy, what's wrong?" he asked.

Chopper ran to the table and climbed into Usopp's lap when the sniper turned to sit sideways on the bench. "I can't sleep," Chopper said, snuggling against Usopp's shirt. "But I want to hear a story. Can you tell me one?"

Sanji caught a glimpse of the two out of the corner of his eye and smiled. The way Usopp held onto Chopper almost made him think of a parent; everyone acted like Chopper's parent at one point though. Usopp was more of an older brother when Chopper had a mother figure in Robin and Nami, but he could have his own "mother moments." Sanji laughed to himself when it indirectly made him Chopper's so called "father."

"Well, one time I was going to visit my friend Kaya and I ended up having to fight off this huge wolf," Usopp started. "It was seven feet tall, had three rows of teeth, and the two tails."

"That's not how I remember the story," Sanji chuckled. He and Usopp had many moments to themselves where they talked about their childhoods, and Sanji was surprised when he learned the stories were entirely true. The wolf story Usopp was starting to tell wasn't entirely fictional. He could easily pick out the true facts in the tall tale the sniper was weaving into his story; the visit to Kaya's house, the wolf that appeared on his way and chased him through the village (although the one Usopp described was quite a deviation from the original), and if Sanji knew the story well enough, it would end with the wolf being caught by some of the adults in Syrup Village and cooked for dinner.

"How did you get away if the wolf bit all of your limbs?" Chopper asked as Sanji focused on the story again. He must have missed a large chunk of the story, which didn't really bother the cook since he preferred the truth. But another glance over his shoulder made Sanji realize that Usopp was starting to fall asleep where he sat.

"Well, it was painful, but I made the wolf chase me," Usopp muttered, his eyes drooping. "I was… I was just about to beat him up when… a dinosaur…"

"Dinosaur?" Chopper asked. Sanji chuckled under his breath, knowing this was the point where Usopp strayed from the truth.

"Yeah. The dinosaur… ate the wolf. It was… was really big," Usopp mumbled. His eyes were closed now, words trailing off as he fell asleep. "Then it… it started to… zzz."

Chopper's eyes, which had also begun to close as he grew tired, were suddenly wide open as Usopp leaned forward. Sanji was able to run across and hold Usopp up, preventing the now sleeping boy from crushing Chopper. "He fell asleep," Sanji sighed.

"B-But he didn't finish the story," Chopper pouted, his tears returning in his tired eyes.

Sanji assessed the situation before asking Chopper move. The reindeer complied, hopping down and watching as Sanji lifted Usopp from his seat. Chopper was still getting used to the idea of them as a couple and he couldn't help blushing as Sanji held Usopp like a small child. When Sanji grunted, shifting Usopp to hold him closer, he motioned for Chopper to open the door. "Let's get him to bed," he said.

"Sanji, do you know how the story ends?" Chopper asked quietly as he opened the door.

The cook took a moment to think about his answer as they walked to the men's cabin. "The dinosaur tried to eat Usopp when he tried to thank it, but Usopp was able to trick it. He told the dinosaur that there was a crowd of people behind the trees, waiting to give it food. The dinosaur turned its back for just a moment, giving Usopp enough time to hit him with some of his bullets and that 5 ton hammer you've seen him use," he said.

The cross from the kitchen to the men's cabin wasn't a very long trip, and Sanji opened the door this time to lead Chopper inside. The room was already filled with snores from the other occupants, so the new voices were no distraction.

Sanji decided it was time to finish the story rather than leave Chopper without an end. "Usopp took the dinosaur to Kaya and ate lunch with her right after that. He gave her the dinosaur as materials for dinner," Sanji whispered as he laid Usopp in the younger man's hammock.

"Whoa! Usopp is amazing!" Chopper exclaimed, stifling a yawn as Sanji lifted him off the ground. He was too tired to lift himself in to a hammock and more than willing to let Sanji put him to bed. Once in the hammock, he closed his eyes as he thanked the cook, curling up in a ball as Sanji covered him with the blanket. He was asleep in seconds.

Growing tired, Sanji rubbed his eyes and bit his bottom lip to keep his own yawn contained. He walked back to Usopp's hammock, leaning in to kiss Usopp briefly on the forehead. He still had a few things to finish in the kitchen, no matter how tempting it was to just crawl into bed.

A small groan escaped the marksman, his eyes opening just enough for Usopp to see Sanji. "Sanji? Where's Chopper?" he asked quietly.

"He's asleep, just like you should be. I'll be back in a few minutes; I'm still working on the kitchen," the cook replied.

Usopp pouted, reaching up to wrap both arms around Sanji's neck. "Stay here," he said as he gently pulled Sanji down.

"H-Hey, that's cheating!" Sanji hissed. He sighed as he kicked off his shoes, deciding the last few things to do in the kitchen could wait for the night. After prying Usopp's arms off his neck, Sanji crawled into the hammock and wrapped his arms around the younger man. Usopp moaned and pushed himself closer into Sanji's arms. The two drifted off to sleep as the cabin grew quiet.


	25. Bridge

**Title:** The Start

**Theme:** #21- Bridge

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 415

**Rating:** K

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, no dialogue

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Sanji tried to explain the start of his relationship with Usopp many times, but he found it extremely difficult whenever he tried to come up with a reason. There was never a time when Usopp asked him to do so, and they never talked about a specific moment in time where they became a couple. Sanji was always asking himself though as if he couldn't believe it.<p>

If Sanji had to pick a moment where he "fell in love" with Usopp, he would shrug \his shoulders. In reality, he had no specific moment. He remembered meeting Usopp along with the rest of the crew, scolding him for being a coward at Arlong Park, having a conversation with him during the celebrations in Cocoyashi, and everything that happened when they entered the Grand Line. Everything was clear, but it never explained how everything started.

Their relationship never had a set date. Sanji would place it between entering the Grand Line and leaving Alabasta if he had to. It just happened… Maybe when Sanji realized Mr. 2 had taken Usopp's goggles. He felt his heart flutter as Usopp thanked him for retrieving his goggles. The even went out together when everything was settled and Usopp gently grabbed his hand when no one was looking.

Things generally evolved from there of course. Sanji refused to believe Usopp made the first move and vocally confessed that he had feelings for Usopp. While he was still struggling with the idea that he, the love cook, was interested in a man, he decided he must have some sort of feelings for the sniper when just thinking about him made his head beat faster and his stomach twist in a strange, delighted knot. He knew Usopp felt something in return the day he held his hand in Alabasta.

The bridge from straight, single man to a man dating another man (Sanji refused to call himself gay or bisexual since he was only showing a romantic interest for Usopp) was one Sanji never thought he would cross. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around it. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, back when he first met Usopp. The sharpshooter was actually growing on him back then, almost literally now with the way he was pressed against Sanji's side as he slept. The cook felt like Usopp was a part of him now and he felt that it was right. Who needed an explanation when the warm body of someone you love was cuddling against you?


	26. Assemble

**Title:** Have a Little Patience

**Theme:** #23- Assemble

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 515

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, a little language, also set in the same AU setting as #8-Keys. Also has hints of an OC.

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"They must be running late."<p>

"You're worrying again. Chill out."

"But they were supposed to be here five minutes ago."

"Usopp, calm down. They will be here soon."

Usopp huffed and shoved his hands into his pockets, glaring at Sanji out of the corner of his eye. "You're the one who worries about getting somewhere on time and you're telling me to calm down?" he asked, his voice heated.

Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and threw the filter on the ground, putting it out with the bottom of his shoe. "You worry about punctuality too, goofball. And you're just over thinking. Relax."

Usopp let his shoulders slump and leaned closer to Sanji, who wrapped an arm around his shoulder and kissed his head through his hat. They were waiting in the city outside Skypiea, their favorite club that they often visited with the rest of their friends. It was Friday night, they all had time to spare, and Sanji was taking the next day off to stay home with Usopp (and possibly to nurse their impending hangovers). They were ready to party.

"I'd like to get started sometime tonight," Usopp mumbled, not really thinking that Sanji would pay attention. The cook was letting him go after his last word though, prompting Usopp to reach for him. "H-Hey, wai-" he started, Sanji cutting him off by pushing their lips together. Usopp leaned in, moaning and wrapping both arms around Sanji's neck. He was a little surprised when Sanji pushed him against the nearest wall and lifted him by his thighs, but his lips never faltered and he wrapped both legs around Sanji's waist. Both hands began to push their way up the back of Sanji's neck, the older holding him up with one hand and feeling up the front of his shirt with the other.

Suddenly, when Usopp decided waiting wasn't so bad, he heard a familiar laugh just a few feet away. "Nami, look! Sanji hasn't even started drinking yet and he's already kissing Usopp!"

"Luffy! They're dating, he doesn't just kiss him when he's drunk!"

Usopp detached his lips from Sanji's and turned to the voices, his eyes landing on two familiar faces. Luffy and Nami were watching them make out outside the club, both of them snickering at his blush. "Ah! How long have you been watching?" he asked, smacking Sanji to make him remove the hand under his shirt.

The other couple giggled as Usopp and Sanji pulled away from each other. "Aww, don't stop, it's cute," Nami laughed.

"Yeah, if we asked you and Luffy to make out, I'm sure you'd feel the same way," Usopp growled.

Luffy grinned, reaching for Nami as if he was accepting the challenge, but he yelped when Nami smacked his hand away. "Are we still waiting? Knowing Zoro, he's lost," Nami said.

"He'll be here soon, he's got company," Sanji sighed. "As long as he doesn't lose Eline, they'll be here any minute."

"You're worried about Zoro? That's a first."

"It's not moss head I'm worried about."

"Usopp, your pants are undone."

"WHA-SANJI!"


	27. Buster Call

**Title:** Scare

**Theme:** #20- Buster Call

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 700

**Rating:** T for language

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, angst, language

Disclaimer(s): I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>Pain. Searing pain. So much pain he could barely breathe.<p>

Sanji couldn't feel the way his eyes nearly bugged out of his head because of the pain in his right side. His ears were ringing, blocking all sound, but he barely noticed until Usopp appeared in his blurring vision. His mouth was opening to calm him down, but he couldn't hear himself. He hated seeing tears of fear in Usopp's eye. It made him try and move even more, the pain flaring in his side again.

Usopp was calling for someone, Sanji reading his lips. 'Chopper! Chopper! Sanji has been-!' The pain flared again, breaking Sanji's concentration. He closed his eyes and tried to curl around the pain. Usopp was holding him in place.

His shirt was torn open and pulled away from his body, small hooves probing his chest in search of a heartbeat. His shirt was wadded up and pressed against the pain. Sanji jerked away from it as best as he could, his hearing coming back.

"He's not responding! What'll we do?"

"Keep the pressure on the wound. There's still a heartbeat, but we have to get to the infirmary."

"Shit, it's already soaked through!"

"Keep it there! Can you carry him?"

"I-I don't know. I'll try."

Sanji opened his eyes as Chopper transformed into his large form. Usopp was trembling as far as he could tell, and when he realized Sanji was looking around, he sniffled. "Sanji! Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Nngh! Usopp…"

Chopper started lifting Sanji out of Usopp's arms, his face turning up as he smiled. "Good, he's conscious. Sanji, hold on. We're gonna get you to the infirmary."

Sanji winced as Chopper shifted him, his voice cracking in pain. "Shit! Ahn-Not… Not sure what's…" he panted. "Wh-Where's Usopp?"

"Here, I'm right here!" the sniper exclaimed to his left. Sanji felt him grab his shoulder and reach down to hold his hand.

Chopper carried Sanji as fast as he could with Usopp trailing behind. Sanji couldn't see the state of the situation, but he could only assume it was bad. The marines were everywhere, the huge fleet appearing out of nowhere. Everyone was fighting hard and trying to protect the ship and themselves from harm. How they managed to get through the crowd without being attacked was quite a surprise.

The kitchen was a blur, literally now as Sanji's eyes opened and closed. They were coming in and out of focus from blood loss, so he closed them to. He didn't realize they were in the infirmary until Chopper placed him on the bed.

"Usopp, keep holding the shirt on his wound. Don't let up."

Sanji felt his shirt press against his side again, now cold with his own blood. Usopp was gripping his hand as hard as he could, hands trembling. "Usopp?"

The sniper moved into his line of vision, to a spot where it was possible to follow Chopper's instructions. He was still crying, the tears falling down his face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Quit crying, idiot. I'm fine," Sanji whispered. Chopper returned with towels and water, replacing Sanji's soiled shirt. "It's not gonna kill me. I'm over the shock."

"Stop talking. Let us take care of your wound," Chopper said. "Usopp, get some bandages. I don't think the bullet is still in there."

"How can you tell?"

"It better not be."

"Sanji, I said stop talking! I know because the injury is not like a typical gunshot wound. It has affected his right side as if he was grazed, but it's much deeper than a normal grazing," Chopper explained. He pulled the towel he had used to replace Sanji's shirt away from Sanji's side and let Usopp look at the gash on his skin. The sniper's flesh drained in color at the sight. "He will be alright. Just go get some bandages."

Usopp nodded and tried to remove himself from Sanji's side, but the cook squeezed his hand again. He looked down at him and smiled lightly. "Don't scare me like that," he frowned. "I thought you were already gone."

"Nah," Sanji sighed, his lips twitching up as he smirked. "I'm not-"

"I said stop talking and get bandages!"


	28. Burglar

**Title:** Heart on a Sleeve

**Theme:** #28- Burglar

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 621

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, implied sexual content, a little bit of language?

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"You sly dog."<p>

Usopp grinned and stuffed his recent findings in his satchel, pressing a finger to his lips as Nami started giggling. "Shh! I gotta tell you the rest of the plan!" he said.

"I think it's pretty obvious what you plan on doing with it. But humor me, I'm curious," Nami smirked.

They were hiding out in the Observation Room, their usual meeting spot when Usopp felt it important to ask for Nami's advice. He was usually wondering how to spice things up with Sanji, especially now that the crew had been back together for a few days. Nami was always willing to help, surprisingly free of charge, or usually asking for Clima Tact improvements as payments. Usopp had only approached Nami twice but he could already feel it paying off.

"OK, after dinner, I'll head down to my workshop and get everything ready," Usopp explained. "I've already asked Franky to stay out, so all you have to do is send Sanji down. Franky is gonna distract Luffy and Chopper; they're already taken care of."

Nami nodded. "Very good. I like the sound of this plan," she said. "Just promise an upgrade on my Clima Tact and we have a deal."

The sniper grinned, extending his hand and shaking Nami's arm so fiercely she jiggled in her seat. "Deal!" he exclaimed. The anticipation was making him tremble already.

* * *

><p>"Eh? Where did Usopp go?"<p>

Sanji felt horrible for just noticing Usopp was missing, especially since it was obvious he had been gone for a while. The rest of the crew was already leaving to finish their daily routines or activities, Nami staying behind to study the newspaper from the morning. "Nami-swan, have you seen Usopp?"

The red haired navigator looked up and smiled. "I think he went to his workshop to finish something. You can go look if you'd like," she said as she folded the newspaper.

Sanji was completely confused by her smile, but he pretended not to notice the glint in her eye and left the room. His first assumption was Franky and Usopp were working together on some kind of project, but his theory was quickly erased when he realized Franky was playing with Luffy and Chopper on the deck. He paid then no mind and dropped down to the docking system.

The narrow hallway seemed rather dark because of the orange glow coming from under the door. It was mesmerizing, nearly putting Sanji in a trance. We found it hard to tear his eyes away from it even as he grabbed the door knob and turned it.

He didn't bother knocking anymore since the rest of the crew was upstairs, but Sanji was completely caught off guard by the sight before him. Usopp was inside of course, just as Nami had said, but his appearance left Sanji speechless. His normal clothes were long gone and replaced with one of Sanji's new dress shirts. He was still wearing his boxers, but they were hanging low on his hips. His hair was pulled out of the rubber band and sticking out at all angles, making his intoxication stare even bolder. Shit, if Sanji had known this was waiting for him, he would have been there sooner.

"About time you got here," Usopp whispered, using one finger to bring Sanji forward. He was in a makeshift bed with several blankets and pillows to make the floor comfortable, a lamp sitting just a few feet away. The ambiance was enough to make Sanji's heart flutter, but combined with Usopp and his appearance…

He needed no second invitation to the bed on the floor, wondering just how Usopp found the time to steal one of his shirts before jumping the marksman.


	29. Sniper

**Title:** Games and Stories

**Theme:** #24- Sniper

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 886

**Rating:** T?

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, angst, but LOTS of fluff

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>'Sanji heard me that time.'<p>

Usopp stared at the cook's back with a small smirk on his lips. They were alone in the kitchen after dinner, a time where Usopp played one of his favorite games; Pull Sanji away from his work. The rules were simple. Usopp called out Sanji's name at various intervals of time, sometimes drawing out his voice and pouting. The last time he tried that, it managed to get Sanji to twitch.

They didn't always play these kinds of games. Sometimes, when Sanji wasn't playing hard to get, Usopp told him stories about his childhood, the truth behind his tall tales. They were not like the stories he started telling Chopper, especially since the young reindeer was often excited by the fake details. The stories he told Sanji were authentic, honest, and more meaningful.

"Sanji..." Usopp groaned, falling back on his workshop to stretch his back and emphasize his turn. If he played his cards right, Sanji would call back from the kitchen sink. The sound of footsteps approaching completely shocked him.

The cook kneeled on the edge of the raised bench over Usopp, leaning in with a smirk. Usopp chuckled, silently accepting his victory with a kiss. "Are you happy now?" Sanji asked against his lips.

Usopp nodded, wrapping both arms around Sanji's neck and pulling him as close as possible. "Tell me a story about you," he said.

"Me? What do you wanna know?" Sanji asked. "I'd rather hear something about those kids you lead around or the beautiful Kaya." He accented his words with cuddling and brushing his nose against Usopp's cheek.

"Seriously? I've told you almost everything there is to know," Usopp said.

"Tell me something new. There's still something you haven't told me, right?"

They shifted a bit, both laying on their sides and scooting up on the workshop. Their feet hung over the edge and tangled together as they moved closer to each other. "Why do you wanna talk about a girl when we're cuddling?" Usopp asked.

"She's not just a girl; she's your friend," Sanji said. "And as your lover, I'm interested in your life before we met. Kaya is part of it."

"But I wanna know about your life too," Usopp said.

"I told you about the first time I bought a suit last time. It's your turn."

Usopp pouted and sighed in defeat. "I can tell you about my mother," he said.

His words made Sanji's ears flick up a bit, the blond pulling him closer. "Tell me about her," he whispered.

The sniper smirked before he started speaking. "She was really pretty, probably the best looking mom in my whole village. And she would tell stories on nights that I couldn't fall asleep," he said. "She had a green thumb too. She was always taking c are of her flowers."

Sanji smiled as Usopp continued talking, his hand reaching up to remove the bandana around Usopp's head and pet his hair down. The sniper didn't pay attention as he talked, unable to stop the words from flowing. "Mom was always smiling, even though dad wasn't always around. She was scared whenever I got hurt or I got list, but I only saw her being afraid for a few moments before she smiled. She even smiled when she…"

His words trailed off as he paused. Sanji started rubbing his upper arm to try and fend off the tears that threatened to start. "When she got sick… When she got sick, I-I got scared. But she told me everything would be fine," Usopp said under his breath, as if he was afraid to speak any louder. Sanji was well aware of the story contents and where this was going. "She said everything would be fine."

"She sounds like an amazing woman," Sanji said. He frowned at Usopp's sniffling noises, pulling Usopp closer to rub his back.

"She encouraged me," Usopp whimpered. "She always… She always told me to do my best."

Sanji nodded a she listened. The pause gave Usopp time to wipe away the tears on his face, Sanji still rubbing his back and starting to pet his hair again. "I miss her," Usopp whispered.

"You have the crew now," Sanji said. "I know it's not the same, but you have nakama now." There was another pause before he spoke up. "You have me."

Usopp's grip on Sanji tightened as his body slowly stopped shaking. He didn't speak and tried to pull the cook closer, already pressed against Sanji so much that he was nearly molded against him. Sanji smiled at his attempts.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours. The sounds of the crew outside were nearly nonexistant to them, Sanji only paying attention to keep watch for raiders. When Usopp's grip started to loosen up, Sanji kissed his forehead and began to move away. "I have to finish cleaning," Sanji said.

"Do you have watch tonight?" Usopp asked.

Sanji nodded as he sat up. Usopp grabbed his wrist and looked at Sanji's eye when the older turned to look at him. "Let's sleep here tonight," he said.

Another brief pause filled the air as Sanji grinned. He grabbed Usopp's hand with gentle fingers giving it a tender squeeze before standing and letting go. "Get a blanket from the cabin."


	30. Mermaid

**Title:** Chit-Chat

**Theme:** #25- Mermaid

**Claim:** SanjixUsopp

**Words:** 682

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Boyxboy, language, set after Thriller Bark

**Disclaimer(s):** I don't own One Piece.

* * *

><p>"The snacks are ready. Let's go."<p>

Usopp nodded, taking one of the plates Sanji insisted on carrying by reminding him that the ladder required both hands, and lead him up to the deck above. The sniper had watch duty tonight and Sanji wasn't willing to sleep alone, a habit he must have picked up from Usopp. Everyone else was in bed, giving them the perfect opportunity to have some alone time.

The two placed the snacks on the raised bench and sat down, curling next to each other to keep warm. "It's really cold out tonight," Usopp said.

"We must be approaching a winter island," Sanji muttered. His arm reached around to hold Usopp in place as the sniper shivered. "We can go get a blanket if you want."

"Nah, maybe later." Usopp reached for one of the chocolate candies on the plate in front of him. "How'd you find time to make this stuff?"

Sanji chuckled, grabbing one of the pieces Usopp offered him. "When you're a cook, you learn to do a lot of things, like finding time," he chuckled. "Or pleasing the people you love."

Usopp blushed, caught with his third piece of chocolate in his hand. "W-Well, you're good at what you do!" he exclaimed. "The great Capitan Usopp needs a good cook on the ship to give him delicious food!"

"You know I'll give you food as long as you're hungry."

The snacks didn't last long as they talked. Their conversations were something Usopp and Sanji looked forward to, usually because of the unique turns they took. Once, they started a conversation with Usopp's latest invention and ended by talking about Sanji's plans once he reached All Blue. Sometimes they were cryptic, other times they were unusual. But they were always interesting.

The mention of their latest discoveries, zombies, seemed to be the subject Usopp couldn't stop thinking about. "Hey Sanji, if you could be a mythical creature, what would you be?" he asked.

"How are we going from zombies to this? Zombies aren't mythical," Sanji laughed.

"Shut up, just answer the question," Usopp pouted. "What would you be?"

"Well…" Sanji started, closing his lips in a thin line as he thought. Usopp watched him and glanced at the plate, wishing more snacks would appear as he pressed his ear against Sanji's chest. The cook's arm tightened around his shoulder before he spoke again. "I'd be a merman."

The word merman instantly made Usopp think of his first real fight as a pirate, where the crew defeated Arlong and his men. The memory brought up bad memories and Usopp pulled back in confusion. "Merman? You mean like those jerks back in Nami's village?" he asked.

The cook grimaced. "No way, they were fishmen! I'd have a fish tail," he said. "The shitheads in Nami's village were just that. No way I'd wanna be one of them."

Usopp made a sound of acknowledgement and shifted to snuggle against Sanji again. "You'd look weird if you were like those mermen," he said.

"Oh, thanks. Makes me feel better," Sanji groaned, his shoulders slumping. Usopp quickly apologized and tried to distract him. "What about you? What would you be?"

"Me?" Usopp asked.

"Che, duh! Who else could I be referring to?" Sanji smirked, laughing at Usopp's blush. "What would you be?"

The sniper pushed against Sanji and wrapped both arms around his torso. "I'd be… I'd be a god! I'm close enough, seeing as how I'm captain and all," he grinned. He ignored Sanji's sarcasm, looking up and batting his eyelashes. "You can be a god with me."

Sanji opened his mouth to respond, but Usopp's words sunk in and he chuckled. "What are we gods of?" he asked.

"Everything."

"That's a hard job."

"Not if you're a god."

"How do you know?"

Usopp shrugged. "You can pick what you're a god of."

"Well, let's be gods of the ocean."

"Why the ocean?"

"Because we can be mermen and gods at the same time."

The words sunk in and both men laughed. "You'd make a nice looking merman," Sanji said.


End file.
